We had a great time on your 4th birthday. The whole celebration actually started a couple days before your birthday, on July 18th. We threw you a Paw Patrol birthday party that day. You had a great morning with dad eating donuts and watching planes while mom got everything ready for your big party that afternoon. You didn't want to nap, but we had you lay down for a little bit so you would be well rested for your party. When you woke up, the first thing you saw was the Paw Patrol birthday cake mommy made for you.
You absolutely LOVED your cake which of course made me so happy since I worked so hard on that for you! The bottom layer was a chocolate cake with the chocolate "fluffy stuff" as you call it (mousse) in between each layer. The top was a white cake with strawberry buttercream. You loved the chocolate as expected. I also made some chocolate and vanilla ice cream which was a big hit as well!
A couple days before your party, you wanted to help me make the ice cream. After it churned, dad said it was time for bed. So while he got Declan ready for bed, I called you into the kitchen so you could lick the ice cream maker clean. I figured it was almost your birthday, so we could bend the rules a bit. You LOVED it!
Anyway, back to your birthday party. Since it was a Paw Patrol theme, I decided to get a little bit creative. You asked for chicken tacos for your birthday dinner, so I made the chicken in a crock pot and I put all the toppings in dog bowls that I got from the dollar store. So cute!
We had lots of other food at your party too including taco dip, mango salsa, veggies and of course "dog biscuits" (dog bone shaped graham crackers) and a dessert cheese ball. The "dog biscuits" were in little bone containers too.
Dad even put together a special playlist for your party with all your favorite songs on it.
You and your friends had a great time playing outside on your swing set and in your new pool. You also loved playing with your squirt guns. Once the outside play was over, you all came inside and started playing with one of your new toys, a little "bike" from your friend Hudson.
After that we all ate our tacos and then we sang Happy Birthday to you.
Then you opened your gifts:
It was a great birthday party and you had a blast!
The next day we just laid low a bit and played with some of your new toys. You and I put together one of your puzzles, which you did mostly by yourself!
You also decorated your birthday cake card with stickers:
We needed that "take it easy" day because the next day was your actual birthday. Unfortunately your birthday this year fell on a Monday, so you had to go to school, but we made the most of that morning.
Of course we started the day off with mom and dad waking you up with the Beatles Birthday song. You weren't thrilled with it at first, but you warmed up to it as soon as you realized it was your birthday.
As soon as we were all ready to go, we headed out to Dunkin' Donuts for some birthday donuts. You loved it that I brought 4 candles to put in your donut. After that day, you always asked for candles in your donut. I had to explain to you for weeks that it was no longer your birthday and therefore we weren't putting candles in your donut. But for that one day, you LOVED it!
After school, dad and I picked you up and we headed out to America's Incredible Pizza for dinner and fun. You did't want to go on the go-carts this year, but you had a great time with the mini bowl, mini golf and in the kids area.
We all went to bed easily that night after all the fun from the weekend and earlier that day! It was a great 4th birthday.
You are now 4 years old! We did a lot in the past 6 months . . .
On January 22, we celebrated your baptismal anniversary. This is something I've been meaning to do every year, but just keep getting side tracked and the day slips away. Hopefully I'll be able to continue doing it, but time will tell on this one! We had all your grandparents over and I baked a (very lopsided, oops!) cake. You love chocolate so I made sure it was all chocolate. We lit your baptismal candle and put it in the cake, then we said a prayer and everyone made the sign of the cross on your forehead. It was a lovely little evening and you and Declan were thrilled to be eating cake on (what felt like) a random Thursday night.
One day in January, mom went on a retreat, so dad took you guys to the Magic House. You had so much fun pretending you were Louis and Clarke, being a judge, and being the president.
As winter rolled on, we were constantly in search of fun indoor activities. We decided to go to America's Incredible Pizza so you and dad could play mini golf. You really enjoyed it! It was still pretty hard for you get the hang of how exactly to play mini golf, but you'll get there!
Of course on those random days when it was warm enough to go outside, we were out. We still absolutely love going to the Museum of Transportation every chance we get! The mini-train (or what you call the Sophie train) wasn't running this time of year, but that didn't stop us from exploring everything else they had to offer!
It was right around this time that we decided to put our beloved home up for sale. We loved it at that house, but unfortunately it was just getting a bit too small for us. You and Declan were sharing a room already and there just wasn't any play space for you guys. This was a bit of a difficult time for all of us since we had to keep the house as clean as possible so people could come see the house at any given moment.
Next was Valentines Day. You kids always get so much candy on these school holidays that I end up throwing most of it away. Seems so wasteful. So I decided that you could give out crazy straws at school instead. Everyone really seemed to like their Valentine from you!
Mom was out of town for your Valentines celebration at school, but Declan and Dad were able to stop by and celebrate with you. You guys ate some yummy food and played some fun games!
When mommy finally got home from Strike Training in Dallas, we all went to the Magic House. We made it down to a different place than we normally go. It was so much fun for you guys to play construction.
Mom's birthday was next. You guys liked waking up to give me my gifts. I got my first John Deere Shirt. Daddy said I earned it being the mother of 2 boys! You also gave me some Chocolate covered strawberries and truffles.
Mommy and Daddy went out to dinner to celebrate mom that night and you and Declan went to Grandma Gerry and Paw Paw's house. When we returned to pick you guys up, you surprised me with a cake! You guys sang happy birthday to me and I blew out the candles. It was a great night!
March came along and although there was still some snow on the ground, the weather was getting warmer. One day you really wanted to go outside, but Gram said you can't go out till the thermometer says 50 degrees. You pulled a stool over to the thermometer and wouldn't leave it.
Gram finally had to put you down for nap and it had not hit 50 yet. You told her that you were sure it would be over 50 as soon as you woke up. Sure enough it was and Gram made good on her promise. You and Declan had so much fun walking around in the left over snow in your brand new (rain) boots!
With the weather getting warmer, we tried to spend as much time outside as possible. Of course the Zoo is a great place to go on a nice day, so off we went.
By this point in time, our house had been on the market for about 6 weeks and we still hadn't sold it. So we decided to buy a St. Joseph Statue. We had actually thought about it before, but the ground was so frozen it would have been hard to get him in anyway. So you helped me bury St. Joseph and we said a little prayer that our house would sell soon.
And then we waited. In the mean time, you had backwards day at school. You thought it was so funny to wear your clothes backwards!
Then that weekend, we had the St. Patrick's Day Parade downtown. We started with breakfast at Rooster and then headed over to the parade. We had so much fun dressing all in green and wearing beads. You two loved the parade and since you guys were so little, they loved giving you guys candy and beads! It was a beautiful day and we had a blast!
After that fun filled weekend, and right at a week after we buried the St. Joseph Statue, we got word that we sold our house!!! It was a bittersweet moment. We were so happy to have sold the old house, but we were going to be sad to leave a place that had so many good memories. With the house sold, you helped me dig up St. Joseph and we said a prayer of thanks and put the statue in a place of honor in our home.
You and bro love to go to the park when we can. I try to take you after work as much as possible. You love to take care of your little brother and push him on the swings. It's so nice to see you two "best friends" hanging out together and laughing.
In mid-March, you participated in a Trike-a-Thon. For this Trike-a-Thon, you raised money for the children at St. Jude's Hospital. You turned out to be the highest fundraiser in your entire school! You had a great time at your Trike-a-Thon. Dad had fun pumping you up for the big day by playing the Rocky theme song and doing jumping jacks with you that morning. Overall, it was a great experience!
Daddy bought you the book "Fox in Socks". Paw Paw used to read it to him when he was little. Paw Paw had a really hard time with that book. With the look on your face in this picture, it looks like you know exactly what dad got himself into, lol!
At the end of March it was time for Palm Sunday. We went to DeSmet for mass in the gym followed by and Easter Egg Hunt out on the football fields. You guys had a great time picking up eggs and running around the field! And you REALLY enjoyed all the candy!
In early April, something very exciting happened with Aunt E. She successfully defended her dissertation and became a doctor! When I told you this, you said, "Dr. Aunt E?" It was perfect! We immediately took some pictures and video for you and Declan to congratulate her.
Then a few weeks later, mommy made some cookies for Aunt E to celebrate. You guys were thrilled that Aunt E worked so hard since you got some cookies out of the deal:
Then, the Sunday after Aunt E was declared Dr. Aunt E, we celebrated Easter. We started the day off at mass then we went to Aunt Debbie's house for your first Easter Egg Hunt. You had a great time searching for eggs with your bro and your cousin Alyssa.
Unfortunately, Grandma Gerry couldn't join us for Easter Sunday since she had to work. But she sent lots of gifts for you guys which you loved!
After Aunt Debbie's house, we headed over to Uncle Thos's house for yet another Easter Egg Hunt. Of course there are a LOT more people at this party! You had a great time with your cousins and second cousins hunting for eggs and running around and playing on the swing set.
We went yet again to your favorite place, The Museum of Transportation. You guys just love that place so much, we try to get out there whenever the weather is nice. And the "Sophie" train was back up and running!
April 13, 2015 was a big day for mommy. It marked 5 years cancer free. You guys didn't quite understand the significance of this event, but I wanted to celebrate with you guys anyway. It was a much more emotional day than I could have ever anticipated. I didn't know quite what to do. So I just took you guys out to dinner at McDonald's and then we went to Cold Stone for ice cream. It turned out to be a great celebration!
That weekend, we participated in the Color Run. You and Declan really had a fun time with it this year. We brought the stroller, but neither one of you used it all that much. It was way too exciting getting color all thrown over us! After the run we used our packets to add a bit more color in the parking garage. What a fun day!
At the end of April, you had a balloon artist come to school. She made some really cool creations! You chose the baseball one. It was so much fun to play with!
That weekend, Parents as Teachers had an event. You guys had so much fun checking out the fire engine and ambulance. You also planted some basil and played some fun games.
As the days approached to moving day, you kept asking us when we were going to the new house. So I put together a little paper chain with rings for each day till we moved. Here you are on the morning of moving day:
At the end of April, it was finally time to say good-by to 518 Bellsworth Dr. and hello to 603 Tanya Court Dr. Like I said earlier, it was a bittersweet departure, but I know we are going to be making some wonderful new memories in our new home. First we walked through our empty old home for closure. Good-bye 518 Bellsworth! You were a great first home for us!
After the move, mommy and daddy's anniversary came quickly. Too quickly! We didn't have time to get a babysitter, so we just decided to take you guys out with us. That turned out to be the best decision ever. We had so much fun celebrating with you guys at Deweys pizza for dinner. Then we walked over to the custard stand. We were lucky to be able to see a train go by while we were there. It was a such a beautiful night that the firefighters were sitting outside that night. You saw them sitting there and asked if you could give them a high five. So of course we let you and they in turn gave you a fire fighter hat and ambulance card. You guys had so much fun that night and so did daddy and I. It was a wonderful way to celebrate 7 years together.
Spring had finally sprung and we were hanging outside as much as possible. This includes at Gram and Poppy's house for family day. You love playing t-ball in their backyard and you also love feeding the fish. Gram says that when we put our fingers in the water the fish will nip at them. Of course this piqued our curiosity so we all did that. Spring is so lovely at Gram and Poppy's house!
Since we bought a new house, we needed a new kitchen table. We decided on one with a bench seat so you and Declan could sit together. You did that one time so far (Declan still prefers the high chair) but I know that eventually you guys will be enjoying many meals sitting together at this table.
We celebrated Mother's Day at your school. They had a wonderful spread of muffins and fruit. And you and I sat and ate a lovely breakfast together.
We ended up celebrating Mother's Day all weekend. On Friday night, it was Frisco Friday. So we headed over to the train store to have some fun.
Then on Saturday, mommy wanted to go to 5 Guys for lunch so we did.
Then on Sunday, you guys gave me some lovely gifts. I'm so lucky to be your mom!
At the end of the month, we returned to your favorite place, the Museum of Transportation. This time though, there was a new feature. The hand pedal trains. You loved them! They also had their street cars running on the upper level. It was so nice to have extra stuff to do. How fun!
The next weekend, we headed to Grant's Farm with your friends Braden and Cate. You enjoyed the goats and the shows this time, but for some reason you did not want to ride the carousel.
We stayed at Grant's Farm a bit past your nap time, so the ride home was a bit rough. Of course daddy couldn't help but get pictures of this.
By this point in time, it was getting hot pretty much everyday. So I decided to make some homemade strawberry popsicles. You guys seemed to really like them.
Being in the new home, we thought it would be fun to try a bath in mommy and daddy's new big bath tub. You guys had a good time bathing in there. You still like your upstairs bath too, but it's fun to switch things up from time to time and take a "swim" in the big tub.
With June came Summer Fun time at school and one of the first activities was a trip to Grant's Farm. Mommy came with you on the field trip. You had a great time feeding the goats, riding the carousel and watching the Animal Encounter show. We even got a snow cone. What a fun field trip!
We often go to Chick Fil A on the weekends. One day we pulled up and there was a guy sitting on the roof. Turns out he was a firefighter collecting money for charity and he couldn't come down till he reached his goal. You thought that was so awesome. You gave him a donation and they let you go in the fire truck and even gave you a firefighter hat. Now every time we go to that Chick Fil A, you always ask why no one is sitting on the roof, lol!
As summer fun continued at school, you had a color run scheduled. You seemed to be a bit apprehensive when I told you I wouldn't be there for it. Since you were so upset that I wouldn't be there, I decided to pop in to see how it went. It went great! In hindsight, I think you were under the impression that it would be an event as big as the one downtown and the thought of mom and dad not being there was a bit overwhelming. But since it was just at your school with all your friends, you did great and had a blast!
It was also school picnic time. We were hoping to go to St. Martin's parade but unfortunately this year they did not have one. So since we missed that one, we were on the search for a new one. I found out that the Queen of All Saints parade goes right by Hudson's house, so we stopped by and watched it from their driveway. You guys had a great time eating popsicles, and catching candy and stickers from the parade.
We also stopped by the St. Margaret Mary school picnic this year. You guys had a great time with the booth games, but you were not at all interested in the rides.
At the beginning of this summer, I still couldn't get you to wear your swim trunks. You were no longer wearing a diaper, so this was a much bigger problem than last year. I just wanted you to have fun, so I put your swim diaper on you from time to time. Thank goodness for "Splash Day" at school though! You HAD to wear swim trunks there and you eventually got used to them. You also liked wearing your swim shirt which was nice since it protected you from the sun. Oh and speaking of that, you LOVE putting on sunscreen! We have to cut you off before you get it all over the place!
You have also started to love taking pictures with mommy's phone. Here are a couple of them, lol!
Since we have a new bigger house, we like to have friends over when we can. One day while all the daddies went to a soccer game, the mommies hung out with you and your friends Braden, Cate and Jordyn. You guys had a great time playing upstairs, eating pizza and watching Paw Patrol. At the end of the night, we put you all in your jammies and you guys got to have a mini pajama party. It was a great night!
One weekend in June, Aunt E wanted to take you to Yoga. We hadn't been to yoga since you were just 2 years old and didn't quite understand it. You went with Aunt E and you said you had so much fun! You loved bringing your own mat and putting it out on the floor. You also loved rolling it back up when you were finished. You showed me all your poses afterwards too. We will definitely be going again soon! (Note that black engine also enjoyed yoga, lol!)
Since we bought the house, we had been looking for a good swing set for you guys to play on. We finally had a big enough yard for a good one so we were ready to get it. We finally settled on a model that could be upgraded through the years but would be good enough for right now. You guys absolutely love the ramp feature! We also have 3 swings and a slide. Hopefully we'll be able to build off this in the future, but for now, you guys just love it! It has also afforded me some time to actually cook dinner, so we have also been eating better. Win, win!
Then on Father's Day, you had fun playing on the swing set with all your cousins!
We had the whole family over to our house on Father's Day. We gave daddy a new sign for his new bar and a speaker so he can listen to his radio show in the shower. We also made him a pancake cake and some bacon for breakfast!
You love helping people blow out the candles on their birthday cake. Since Uncle James's birthday was close to Father's Day, Will, Harrison and you helped him blow out his birthday candles that day. You all loved the cookie cake and homemade ice cream. It was a great Father's Day.
You also celebrated dad at school with donuts with dad.
Toward the end of June the nursing home by Grandma Gerry's holds a big summer celebration about a week before the 4th of July. They have show cones, bounce houses, food, popsicles, face painting, etc. We had a blast at that celebration this year!
The last weekend of June, we met some friends at Shaw Park. You LOVED the splash pad there! This was the first time you would keep you swim trunks and swim shirt on and we were so happy! You had a blast!
Since you guys love it so much, we did Frisco Friday again in July. Same old stuff, just a different month. Still so much fun for you!
We also took another trip to Grant's Farm. The goats weren't too aggressive that day, so you were able to get right in there with them and enjoyed feeding them! You also rode the carousel that day!
Unfortunately you got sick at this point in time too. You somehow seem to always get sick at the beginning of July. We made the most of it though, snuggling up on the couch and watching a movie. Dad even let you sleep with me till you felt better.
You still were not feeling 100%, but luckily you felt well enough to have some fun on the 4th of July. We went to Rooster for breakfast and then we headed over to the City Garden to have some fun in the fountains and pools. You guys had a great time running though the fountains and splashing around in the pools.
After all the fun at City Garden, we went home to take a nap. Naptime did not pan out too well and neither you or Declan wanted to sleep. We decided to head over to Braden and Cate's house for some BBQ and popsicles, but we skipped the fireworks since you still weren't feeling great and neither of you got a nap. That was fine, you guys don't even like fireworks anyway! We headed home and got to bed early. It was much needed!
A few days later, you were finally back to your normal self. Hudson's grandma decided to run for State Senate, so we went to her big announcement party. It was also her birthday. You and Declan had a great time eating hot dogs and chips and running around the Haefner's Greenhouse. And since it was Marsha's birthday, you both got some cake too! You spilled soda on your shirt and since I didn't bring any other clothes, you wore the new campaign t-shirt. You loved that shirt so much, you even wore it to bed that night.
As your birthday approached, we started getting things ready for your big celebration. This included getting a pool for you and your friends to play in. Of course we had to test out the pool and squirt guns before your birthday. After we had fun playing in your new pool, we decided to eat popsicles. What a fun summer day!
We also went to see your first movie in the theatre this summer. We went to see Inside Out. It was so fun to see your big eyes as you saw the "Really big TV". You loved eating your popcorn and drinking your soda as you watched the movie. I think some parts were a bit over your head, but overall you really enjoyed the movie and the whole experience.
As summer fun continued at school, you had dress like a pirate day. I had no idea what to put on you to dress you like a pirate, but with daddy's help on the shirt and the Target party aisle for the hat and eye patch, this is what we came up with:
I said, "Arrgh!" And you said, "No mommy, the letter is R not ARGH!" LOL, you are one funny boy!
Dad has also been taking you up to the airport lately to watch airplanes take off and land. You think this is so cool and you love going out there!
The next event in July was your birthday which deserves it's own post so I'll get to that soon. First though, here's a few more tidbits from this point in your life.
You and Declan still like to hang out together every chance you get. You often say to him in a little sing songy voice, "We're best friends!" And then Declan says, "Friends!" There is a TV movie that you guys love to watch at Gram and Poppy's lately called, "Lucky Duck." Here's a pic of you two laying in Gram and Poppy's bed watching it:
You also like to "help" your brother whenever you can. You try to rinse his hair when you bathe together. Daddy calls this waterboarding, but I know you are just trying to help.
I know you just love your brother. You really encouraged him to get a train on his arm the last time we were at the train store. It was his first time and he LOVED it!
You are also really good at sharing with your brother. You even share really good things, like ice cream and donuts!
And speaking of donuts, we found a new donut place right by our house that we love. It's called Ex-Cop Donut Shop. We go there way more often than we should.
You also love your cousin Alyssa. You and Alyssa are like 2 peas in a pod at family events.
Your favorite book right now is called, "Dragons Love Tacos." Aunt E gave you that book for Christmas and it's all you ever want us to read. There is a page in the book where a Dragon is looking at his calendar and the picture on the calendar is of a taco with sunglasses on. You think this picture is the funniest thing you have ever seen. So of course, just for you, I took a picture of a taco wearing sunglasses. Somehow this did not translate as well for you as it does in the book.
You and Declan just adore your Aunt E. When she comes over, she plays with you and reads you books. It's always a party with Aunt E!
You still love bacon and you can smell it as soon as we get to the lobby of school when it is bacon day. You get a big smile on your face and say, "It's bacon day!" Ms. Angie sure knows how to make you smile in the morning!
You still love Chick Fil A, which you call Chicka Lay.
We continue to to "Fry"Day on Fridays after school. We go over the Mississippi River (JB Bridge) and then we go to McDonalds for some fries. You guys just love FryDay!
You have been a bit of a picky eater lately. I suppose it comes along with the age. One day we couldn't even get you to eat cheesy lasagna. But a couple nights later, you were eating a raw spinach salad! It was pretty crazy, but I wasn't gonna question it. I just try to get you to eat healthy when I can and if spinach salads are what will get us there, then so be it!
Your favorite food that mommy makes is Pasta Bolognese. Whenever someone asks you what your favorite food is, you don't say spaghetti, or pasta . . . you say Bolognese. It's funny! But I can always count on you to finish every bite when I make that.
Lest you believe that you were always a perfect little angel based on what mommy has written here, daddy decided to get some video footage of a melt-down. Yes, this does happen quite a bit and no, I usually do not pick up the video camera when it does. Leave it to dad to capture such a moment:
You still really like Play Doh and you always come up with some pretty cool stuff when you play with it at Grandma Gerry's house!
If I leave a laundry basket laying around the house, you LOVE to sit in it. You would prefer for someone to push you around in it, but just sitting in it is enough for you.
You still love bath time, but these days you have also been enjoying taking showers. It has been super helpful for mommy since you can pretty much do everything yourself in the shower. I think it helped that you were finally able to put your ears in the water in the bath.
You CAN.NOT.STAND when the sun is in your eyes. Because of this, I am often handing my sunglasses back to you. It's not so bad when you can wear mommy's sunglasses!
You and Declan love to be pulled in the wagon and lucky for you guys, Poppy is more than happy to oblige:
You have gotten quite good at brushing your teeth. You and Declan love to stand on your stool and brush your teeth together:
You still love to help me cook. One of your favorite things to cook with me is quesadillas. After I cook the chicken we place all the ingredients out and I give you a tortilla and say, "Chicken me!" And you put chicken in the tortilla. Then I say, "Cheese me!" and you put cheese over the chicken. Then we fold the tortilla over and I say, "Paint me!" and you "paint" some olive oil onto the outside of the tortilla. I then cook it up and we eat well!
When we moved to the new house, you were anxious to help me cook something. Of course the first thing we cooked in the new place was quesadillas! You were really excited to have so much room to cook!
There's just something about being 3 that allows you some great freedoms. If you feel like you want to wear nothing but your underwear and a headlamp while eating breakfast, then that's just what you do. This is one of my favorite pictures of you!
And sometimes you feel like wearing your rain boots with no pants.
And sometime just hanging out in your underwear with you whale is the way to go. Man it must be good to be 3!
You are learning to write your name. Some days you go backwards but in general you do quite well with it!
You love donuts! On special occasions, mommy takes you to Dunkin' Donuts to get some donut holes:
One of our favorite parts about the new house is the big room upstairs. This has turned into your play space. You guys play for hours up there! Trains are still the main thing you both love. You love to build big tracks and "chuff" your trains along the way.
Your favorite TV show right now is Paw Patrol. You have gotten your brother really into it too. Because of this, Gram bought you both Paw Patrol jammies. You guys just love your Paw Patrol Jams!
You are still such a sweet little boy. You always want to "snugs with mom" and you are never shy to give me hugs and kisses. I love you so much my Sugar Pot! Stay tuned for your 4th Birthday Celebration!
